Hay stacker or ricker



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

J. J. NEFF. HAY STAGKER 0R RGKER.

No. 597,586. PatenteJan. 18, 1898.

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UNiTED STA'rns Pnrnivr Ormea JOHN J. NEFF, OF BOLTON, MISSOURI.

HAY srAcKEn on incase.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,586, dated January18, 1898.

Application tiled June 8, 1897. Serial No. 639,897. illu model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. NEFF, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bolton, in the county of Harrison and State of Missouri,have invented a new and useful Hay Stacker or Rieker, of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

My invention relates to hay stacking or ricking apparatus adapted toreceive hay from a rake and capable of being operated to elevate anddeposit the hay in the act of forming a stack or rick; and the objectsin view are to provide means for elevating the fork, whereby the load ofan ordinary twohorse rake may be readily managed bya single horse, thesame being accomplished by applying the strain of the elevating devicesapproximately in the direction of movement; to provide means forreleasing the load of the fork in order to facilitate the depositthereof upon the stack or to retain the load when the stack is of theproper height to be topped ont, whereby hay may be applied to the stackby means of a pitchfork, and to provide means for retaining a rake-loadupon the fork by preventing the displacement thereof when the rake iswithdrawn.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stacker constructedin accordance with my invention.` Fig. 2 is a side View showing the forkin its discharging position, the guard being shown depressed in fulllines and in its normal or elevated position in dotted lines.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both guresof the drawings.

The supportiixg-frame of the apparatus embodying my invention ispreferably of portable construction and is illustrated as consisting ofside beams 1, shaped terminally to form runners, and cross-bars 2,connecting the side beams.. Erected on this supportingframe is astandard 3, preferably inclined forwardly and provided with cross-braces4, which are secured at their lower ends to the side beams l and attheir upper ends, respectively, to the sides of the standard 3, saidbraces being intersected at a point between their extremities. Theelevating and stacking fork 5 comprises lingers G, connected by paralleltransverse bars 7 and 8 and having arms 9, which extend rearwardlyparallel with the side beams 1 and are fulcrumed thereto, as shown at10, side braces 1l being preferably employed to give lateral strength tothe fork and extending from intermediate points in said arms 9 to theextremities of the transverse bars 7 and S. Also mounted upon thesupporting-frame is a swinging derriclr 12, consisting ofupwardly-convergent side bars, said derricl; terminating above the upperend of the standard 3 and being provided with guiding devices, sucli aspulleys 13, to carry an elevating-cable le, said cable being attached atone end to the rear crossbar 2 of the supportingframe, extending overone of the guide-pulleys of the derricl; through a sheath orpulley-block 15, carried by a swinging bail 1G on the fork, thence overthe other guide-pulley on the derrick and through a pulley-block 17 onthe supportingfrarne, whereby a draft-animal may be attached to the freeend thereof, as by means of a singletree 1S. The bail 16 is looselymounted upon 'the rear bar S of the fork, whereby it is adapted to alineitself with the direction of .strain of the elevating or operatingcable, and it is obvious that by straining the cable, the upper end ofthe derrick being above and in front of the standard 3 and beingapproximately above the rear bar of the fork, the fork, with its load,will be elevated with the minimum effort or with the minimum expenditureof power.

It will be understood that in operation the derrick retains itsforwardly-inclined. position, 'which is limited by the standard 3, untilthe fork has been elevated to a pointabove or approximately in the planeof the upper end of the standard, when the contact of the pulley-block15 with the derrick will cause the latter to swing rearwardly until itsmovement is checked by stops 19 on the braces e. When thebackward-swinging movement of the derrick is checked, the release of theoperating-cable will allow the fork to swing in rear of the derriclr` inthe act of discharging its load.

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ln order to partly counterbalance the weight of the fork and also serveto return the fork to its normal position after the discharge of theload which has been elevated thereby, I employ a return-cable 20,attac-hed at one end to the rear barot the fork, coiled around a drum2l, supported by the standard 3, and provided with acounterbalancing-weight 22. XVhen the fork is in its dischargingposition, as shown in Fig. 2, the tendency of the terminallywveightedcable is to draw the fork forward until it reaches a position in whichthe fork proper is in front of its fulcrum l0, when the parts will bereturned bygravity to their operative positions.

In case the connterbalaneilig-weight should be insu'tlicient to returnthe fork: after the discharge of its load to an upright position, fromwhich it is adapted to swing by gravity to :its normal or recedingposition, I have provided means whereby the fork may be started in itsforward-swinging movement by the operating-cable. It will be seen thatthe derrich7 l2 is fulcrumed in front of the pivotal point of thefork,whereby as the parts swing rearwardly the fork proper rises above theupper end of the derrick to swing thereover,

-and this motion continues until, the fork occupying arearwardly-inclined position, the ropeguide 15 of the fork is in rear ofthe rope-guides 13 of the derrieki. Hence by drawing upon theoperating-cable after the dis charge of the load the fork may be swungfor ward a sufficient distance to give the terminally-weighted cable 2Osuiiicient power to carry the fork past a vertical position and thusallow it to be returned by gravity to its normal or horizontal position.It will be seen that it is my desire to so proportion and relativelymount the dei-rick and fork that when the parts are in their normalpositions the rope-guides of the derrick will occupy a positionapproximately over the rope-guide of the fork, whereby the upward strainapplied by the operating-cable upon the fork will be approximately inthe direction of movement of the fork rope-guide until the fork has beenelevated a suflicient distance to bring it approximately into contactwith the derrick. From this point the derrick and fork swing together,the fork, however, being gradually carried above the plane of therope-guides of the derrick until the parts reach the dischargingposition illustrated in Fig. 2, with the fork extending over the top ofthe derrick and with the guide-rope of the fork in rear of therope-guides of the derrick.

The lingers of the fork are provided with triangular barbs or stops 23,designed to facilitate the depositing of hay upon the iingers and at thesame time prevent the removal thereof when the rake is withdrawn, andmounted upon the fork near its rear bar 7 is a swinging or pivotal guard24, also preferably consisting of fingers 24, connected by a cross-bar25, the function of this guard being to prevent hay from being carriedback farther than the capacity of the rake will admit and also toprevent the fork-load from slipping backwardly from the fork during theelevation of the latter preparatory to depositing the load upon a stackor upon the point selected for a stack or rick. This guard is providedwith operating devices, which in the construction illustrated consist oflevers 26, fulcrumed upon the side arms 9 of the fork and connected bypitmeu 27 with the guard, whereby when the levers .are in theirforwardly-adjusted positions (shown in Fig. l and in dotted lines inFig. 2) the guard is arranged in a position approximately perpendicularto the plane of the forl ,wlie1eas ywhen the levers are in theirrearwardly-adjusted positions the guard is inclinedrearwardly from theplane of the fork to facilitate the discharge of the load, as shown infull lines in Fig. 2. Then the building of the stack has progressed tothat point when it is desired to top out, it is preferable to leave theguard in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, or in aposition to hold the load, whereby the latter maybe removed, as requiredby the stacker, by means of a pitchfork. The rear bar S of the forklimits the forward-Swingin g movement of the levers 26, and stops 2S areprovided to limit the rearward-swinging movement of the same, and it isobvious that by disposing the levers slightly out of alinement with thepitmen 27 the guard will be held in its approximately perpendicularposition until the fork has reached the discharging point, when theweight of the load, bearin g against the guard, will reverse thepositions of the levers 26 and thus dispose the guard to discharge theload. Thus by utilizing the stops which are provided to limit theswinging movement of the levers 26 the guard may be locked permanentlyin its operative or approximately perpendicular position, said leversbeing in a position in contact with the stop formed by the rear bar S ofthe fork. Under ordinary circumstances, however, it is desirable to holdthe guard in said normal or approximately perpendicular position untilthe fork reaches its elevated position overhanging the upper extremityof the derrick, when by reason of the weight ofthe load being thrownupon the guard the latter should be free to swing downwardly andthusvdischarge the load. To accomplish this,the levers 26 should bearranged either directly in alinement with the pitm en 27 or withtheirfree ends slightlyin rear thereof, whereby pressure applied to theguard will operate to swing the levers from the stop-bar 8 rather thantoward the same, as when the parts are arranged in the positionhereinbefore mentioned. Obviously the stop 2S limits theoutward-swinging movement of the lever, and hence of the guard. I amenabled to secure the desired temporary holding of the guard bydisposing the levers 26 in alinement with the pitmen or slightlyrearward of such alinement by reason of the IOC) IIO

proximity of the pivot of eaoh pitman to the axis or fulerum of thelever and also by reason of the fact that as the fork approaches thelimit of its rearward or discharging movement it passes to a position inrear of a vertical plane and thus causes gravity to act upon the freeend of the lever26. The above is an important reason for mounting' thefork to swing through an are of greater than ninety degrees.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any ot' the advantages of this invention.

Having desoribed my invention, what I ela-im is- 1. In a stacker, thecombination with a fork having pivotal side arms and adapted to swingthrough an are of greater than ninety degrees, to incline rearwardlytoward its upper end when elevated, of a swinging derriolr pivoted inadvance of the pivots of said side arms and of less width than theinterval therebetween, and an operating-cable connected with the forkand traversin g-guides on the derriok, substantially' as specified.

In a stacker, the combination with a supporting-frame, of a forli havingside arms piv- Oted at their extremities to the supportingframe andmounted to swing through an are of greater than ninety degrees, aderriok pivo1 ally mounted upon the supporting-frame in advance of thepivotal extremities of the side arms, and adapted to swing between saidside arms, whereby when elevated the fork is adapted to overhang theextremity of the derriek and incline rearwardly, and whereby when intheir normal positions the upper end of the derriok overhangs the fork,and an operating-eable connected with the fork and traversingguides onthe derriek, substantially as specified.

3. In a stacker, the combination, with a supporting -fra-me, of a xedstandard carried thereby, a forli having its arms fulerumed upon thesupporting-frame to swing upon opposite sides of said standard, wherebythe fork is adapted to pass over the upper end of the standard, thepivotal points of said arm being in rear of the standard, aoounterbalaneing device including a terminally-weighted Gable traversinga drum on the standard and connected with the fork, a pivotal derrickmounted lupon the supporting-frame with its pivot-points in front ofthose of the fork, and in rear of the standard, and limited in itsforward-swinging movement by said standard, stops for limiting therearward movement of ythe derrielr when the derriek and fork havereached rearwardly-inolined positions, said derriok and fork havingropeguides of which those on the fork are in rear of those on thederriok, when the said parts are rearwardly inclined, and anoperating-cable traversing the guides on the derriok and fork,substantially as specified.

4. In a stacker, the Combination with a supporting-fram e, ofa forkprovided with a ropeguide and having its arms fulorumed upon the frame,a swinging derriok provided at its free end with rope-guides, means forlimiting the rearward-swinging movement of the derriek when therope-guide of the fork is in rear thereof,and a looped operating-cableattached at one end to the supporting-frame, and adapted to be strainedat the other end by an operating power7 the sides of the cabletraversing said rope-guides on the derriek, and the loop thereofextending through the rope-guide on the fork, substantially asspecified.

5. In a stacker, the combination with a supporting-frame, of a forkpivotally mounted upon said frame, a swinging derriek pivoted Y upontheframe in front of the fork and having rope-guides, means for limitingthe swinging movement of the derriek when the fork has reached arearwardly and upwardly in- @lined position,a swinging bail looselymounted upon the fork to extend in rear of the derrick rope-guides whenthe fork is elevated, a swinging pulley-block supported by the bail andadapted to fall in rear of the derriok when the fork is elevated, and anoperating-cable attached at one end to the supporting-frame, extendingthrough one guide on the derriek, through said pulley-block, bankthrough the second guide on the derriek, and finally through the guideon the supporting-frame, contiguous to which power is adapted to beapplied to strain the Gable, substantially as specified.

6. In a stacker, the combination 'with a swinging fork and means foroperating the same, of a guard pivotally mounted upon the fork forswinging movement perpendicular to the plane thereof, terminally-freeoperating-levers mounted at one end upon the fork, pitmen connectingintermediate points of the levers with the guard, and stops arranged inthe paths of the levers for limiting the swinging movement thereof inopposite directions, substantially as specified.

7. In a stacker, the combination with a swinging fork and means foroperating the same, of a guard mounted upon the fork for swingingmovement perpendicular to the plane thereof, terminally-free leversmounted at one end upon the fork, pitmen connecting the levers atintermediate points with the guard, rear stops for limiting the swingingmovement of the free ends of the levers in one direction, and a frontstop arranged downward of positions in alinement with said pitmen, forlimiting the movement of the levers in the opposite direction, wherebywhen the levers are in Contact with said forward stop the guard islooked against swinging movement, substantially as specified.

S. In a stacker, the combination with a IDO IOS

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swinging fork mounted for movement through an are exceeding ninetydegrees, and means for operating the same, of a guard mounted upon thefork for swinging movement perpendicular to the plane thereof,operating-levers `fulorumed upon side arms of the fork and adapt-ed tooccupy forward and rearward positions approximately in alinement Withsaid arms, pitmen connecting the levers at intermediate points with theguard, and having their front ends elevated above the plane of saidsidearms, and front and rear stops arranged in the paths of the levers,substantially as specified.

In testimony that I elaim the foregoing as 4 my own I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

` JOHN J. NEFF.

Witnesses:

B. P. SIGLER, PHILIP MoCoLLUM.

